baker



E. K. BAKER. 'SEMIWOOD wash ron moron mucus. APPLICATION HLED DECYVH, 191B.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET h I I I I z m. a

E. K. BAKER.

SEMIWDUD WHEEL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED M641, l9l8.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E ZcKBzkcr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERLE KING BAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 BAKER WHEEL & RIM COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION 01' ILLINOIS.

SEMIWOOD WHEEL FOR MOTOBr-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I Ema: K. BAKER, a citizen of the United btates, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scmiwood Wheels for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to improvements in automobile wheels 'of the type adapted to carry either fixed or demoiintable rims, and relates more particularly to wheels of a type adapted to the carrying of great loads, such as are met with in motor-truck practice.

While wheels of both metal and wood have been used in motor-vehicle practice, it 'is quite generally admitted that the wooden wheel has certain advantages that are not to be found in the allunetal wheel. One such desirable feature found in the wooden wheel is that of greater resiliency that the tendency, when using a pneumatic tire. is to operate the vehicle at such an inpractised,

creased rate of speed that the vibration and destructive forces set up, and which must be absorbed to prevent undue injury to the vehicle, are about the same as with a solidtired Wheel.

The prevailing type of wooden wheel is composed of a plurality of wooden spokes radiating from a. hub portion outwardly,

the ends of the spokes being reduced and tenoned in a heavy wooden felly. The wooden felly, heretofore necessary, must be madeof hi h-grade wood, such as is susceptible of eing bent into an arc constitutini a segment of. the wheel. blot only is suc folly wood scarce, but it is also quite diflicult to bend and shape and the operation of makin the wheel, as heretofore r uires a workman having a relativel high degree of skill.

In or er to secure the requisite strength for motor vehi es of large capacity the practice has developed of reducing the size of the wheel. This reduction in the size of the wheel, while providing greater rigidity necessarily has a complementary disadvantage in that it-destroys in a large measure the highly desirable resilient features of the wooden wheel. Resiliency is further minimized in the smaller sizes of wheels by the relatively large proportion of the telly to the entire wheel.

Those motor vehicle wheels designed for pneumatic tires are smaller in proportion to the size of the pneumatic tire employed. that is to say. the larger the size of the tire the smaller the diameter of the wooden wheel and hence the less resiliency in the wheel. If it he attempted to secure the requisite resiliency in the wood wheel by providing relatively long spokes, even assumin that other factors do not prohibit Such a esign, another difliculty is at once encountered. That is to say, while a short Spoke com posed of an ordinary grade of Wood iur- .the use of the wooden wheel as heretofore made, is that of looseness between the parts, usually between the spokes and the felly So soon as a slight looseness develops, vibrations are set up which, in a short time, grow to such proportions as tobe quickl and violently destructive of the whole whee 'The general object of my invention is to dantly able to withstand the forces to whicl'l. it is subjected in use and yet of such a resilient character as to be of ractical as sistance in absorbing road shoe ,1

A further object of my inventionis-Jo provide a. motor-vehicle wheel of a strong but resilient character, which shall be adapted to the carrying of either a, solid or pneumatic tire.

A in it is'an object of my invention to provide a motor vehicle wheel a: such construction that the hitherto individualistic and highly skilled mapuf oture and assembly of each wheel can behcduce'fl to a factor-y system in which the spokes can be manufactured in a conven out, simple, and rapid manner, and therea r easily assem-L provide a motor-vehicle wheel abunbled, by unskilled labor, with the other arts necessary to provide a strong and durable, yet resilient, wheel. I

A detailed object of the present invention is to provide a motor-vehicle wheel, and a method of manufacturing the same, which shall be adapted to embodiment in a socalled wide mm wheel, such as is commonly found in pneumatically tired vehicle wheels. ,My invention consists generally in a .motor vehicle wheel, and in the method of .tion'al view on the line 44 of -5 is a sectional view, similar to producing the same, whereby the above named objects and purposes, together with a number of others that will appear hereinafter, are attained, and in invention will be more readily understoo by reference to the drawin ',-wherein I have depicted what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment thereof, but which, it should be un derstood, is by' way of illustration and not by wa pf limitation.

In t e drawings] Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the obverse side of a wheel embodying my invention ;-Fi 2 is a sec tion taken on the line 2-2 of ilg. 1 ;-Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but s owing the reverse side of the wheel ;Fi 4 is asec ig 1;Fig.

i 4, but showing a slightly modified form 0 my invention (the clamping 1n and nut being omitted) --Fig. 6 1'; a sectional view on line -66 of liig. 5;-Fi 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 ut taken adjacent an alternate spoke ;--l"igs. 8 and 9 show fragmentary sectional detailed views of the connection between the spokes and outer structure and showing opposite sides ;Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the rim sup porting band of a modified form having a fixed rim thereon.

Referring to the drawin s, and particularl Figs. 1 and 3, it will e observed that the ody of the wheel comprises a plurality of wooden spokes, 1, having mitered ends, 2, adapted to be tightly wedged to ether and thereby defining the hub hole 3. -o the hub of the wooden part may be secured the metallic hub, 4, of usual construction, and shown onl by dotted lines in the drawing. The meta lic hub, 4,'is provided with a flange, 5 on one side ahd upon the opposite side will be found a slip-flange, 6. The

metallic hub parts are rigidly secured to lmb of the wheel, 2'. e., that portion pulled by the portion, 2, of the spokes b means of suitab e bolts, 7, pa-ssin throng 1 holes, 8. I have designedly provi ed amuch larger number of spokes, .1, than is customar for the purpose of'serving a num- 0 highly important and desirable functions. rovi ing a relatively large numof s'po es, 1, I am enable ,to provide a relatii' ely large wooden hub portion, such 11.0 which the letter H has been a plied, and since the strength of a wooden w eel is largely determined by the size of the hubportion, I have provided a wheel of suliicient strength to be employed in even the heaviest types of vehicle wheels.

As will he observed, vl have entirely eliminated the old form of wooden fell with its expensive, short-lived mortise an tenoned connection with the spoke ends, and employ only a metal band, 9. As a matter of convenience, I shall term this band a peripheral band. The peripheral band is preferably formed by bendin a flat metal strip, having a flange on one ed e, and a rim seat upon the other, into circu ar shape, so that the flange extends inwardly and the rim seat faces outwardly. The peripheral band may be formed of various cross-sections by well-known rolling processes, after which the rolled meta] may be cut into desired lengths, shaped to cyliin'lrical form, and the en 5 joined as by welding. When completed it presents an inwardly extending flange, 10, and an outward or peripheral seat portion, 11, upon which maygbe seated the tire rim, 13, by the coaction o'f beveled portions, 12 and 14, thereof, with the beveled portion, 11, of the peripheral band and the beveled wedge ring, 15. It will be understood that the tire-containing rim is of the so-called demountable construction in which the rim, 13, is seated by the movement axially of the wheel. The pneumatic tire (not shown) is held in place on the rim 13, by means of the inte ral flange 16, at one side and the detachaile flangelXZat the other side the detachable flange being held in place, as by the split ring, 18. Since these parts are of welllrnown construction, their various functions will not be dwelt upon.

I have so far stated that the peripheral band is provided; but I have not stated how it is joined to the spokes as it must be, in order to form a union of such tenacity as will resist relative circumferential movement between the body of the wheel and the peripheral flange. This union may be se- ,cured in various ways, as for example, by forcing the s okes of the wheel into the band by means 0 an enormous lateral pressure, or by expanding the band as by heating. slipping the band in its heated condition over the spokes, so that upon contraction the band will be firmly seated upon the endsof the spokes in suiflr'a tensional condition that the wooden body of the'wheel will be under such compressionas will firmly hold the various spokes a traction of the band upon the spoke ends.

that this connection alone will be amply sufifl isindicated by the dotted circle in Fig. ficient as a drivingoonnection between the body of the wheel and the peripheral band, such as will prevent relative circumferential movement of the parts. This is particularly so when s uare spokes are used, such is .shown in t e principal figures in full lines.

Such spoke ends obviously provide a larger surface of contact than would a round spoke.

I wish here to direct attention to the additional function of the multiplicity of spokes in further augmenting the already large peripheral band contacting surface, which in turn constitutes a union between the spokes and peripheral band of a tenacity abundantly able to constitute a driving connection. Thus appears another valuable function of the large number of spokes that I prefer to use. It should also noted that in the formation of the square spoke, it is merely necessary to miter the ends of various spokes, and thip in turn simplifies the operation as it can be sawed and planed from stock sizes of material with standard sawlog and planing machinery, and as easily lnltered in like manner. The relatively slow and laborious method of turning down the outer ends of the spokes is thus eliminated As a matter of precaution I provide addi tional means for joining the spokes and the peripheral hand. These means take the form of bolts, 21, which are passed throu h alined openings in the spokes and in t e flange, 10, of the peripheral band.

In that form of my invention shown in Fig. 10, the spoke ends contact the inwardly extendingflange marked 10 of the peripheral band. In the other forms of my inven tion, which are designed oradapted to the seating of a wide tire rim, such as is used with the large pneumatic tires, I interpose a spacing ring, 19. between the flange, 10, and

the spokes, to the end that the peripheral band may be easily and cheaply ositioned centrally of the wooden wheel. lie the spacing ring, 19, may be composed of vanous materials, I prefer that it shall be made of wood, as wood is at once relatively light, thus cutting; down the peripheral weight of the wheel, and at the same time is of sufficient strength to resist those compressive forces to which it will be subiected in use. It should be understood that the ring, 19, is a mere spacing ring, and does not in any sense act as a folly to support the peri heral band, 9, and for this reason the wee. en ring. 19, need not be of selected or high-grade wood, such as is absolutely necessary in the felly hand of the hitherto usual construction.

IVhen the spokes are round (in the modification shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7) the 'spacing band, 19, is preferably provided with notches, 20, thereby encircling a substantiel part of the end of the spoke.

In those forms of my invention in which the spacing ring, 19, is employed, the bolts, 31, passing through the alternate spokes also pass through suitably alined openings in the usual ring, 19. As a matter of practice, the fastening devices, 21, of alternate spokes are preferably rivets. and of the intermediate spokes bolts of suflicient length. so that a clamping lug, 22, and an o )erating nut, 23, may be mounted thereon. he purpose of the members 22 and 2.3 obviously is that of wedging the tire-containing rim, 13, in place, and since this function is wellknown it will not be discussed in detail. It might be stated, however, that the bolts, 21, when tightened, serve as additional driving crmnccticns tying the spokes to the peripheral hand. The head of the bolts may either assume the usual form and. be provided with a washer, or they may consist of oppositely projecting curved extensions, 24 and such as best shown in Figs. 5, 6, and T.

Except where a dcnlountable rim requires wedges or lugs at certain spokes, every spoke may contain a rivet or like fastening, and it will be understood that if desired the bolts and wedge lugs may be arranged at places other than the spokes, but I do not favor such a structure. 1

I desire to call attention to another function served by the large number of spokes, and that is, that the peri heral band in being tensioned upon the spolies is supported at such a large number of )oints that I am enabled to provide a finished wheel that is truly cylindrical and not olygonal. I am also enabled to shrink the band more firmly upon the spoke ends, without danger of distortion and thereby set the body of the wheel in such a. state of compression as will successfully defy any forces tending to loosen or separate the parts in use. Obviously by dispensing with the folly, there are fewer parts in the assembled wheel and hence fewer joints that can loosen in any event, and the very parts that give the most trouble in use, to-wit, the tenoned and'the mortised joint, is eliminated. Again, by tightly tensioning the peripheral band upon the spoke ends, I effectually seal the ends of the spokes against the entrance of foreign matter and thereby prolong the life and the durability of the spokes.

Dispensing with the wooden felly as I do, I am enabled to prbvide a relatively large wooden hub portion in the wheel, such as will give the requisite strength even for motor trucks of large capacity. At the same time I provide a projecting spoke of a length 'suflicient to he actually resilient, even where in conjunction with a large pneumatic tire.

I thus not only provide a strong, yet resilient wheel, but I also provide one in which 'extending the spoke portions pro'ecting from the hub are not of undue lengt and can, therefore, be made of ordinary wood and yet be of re uisite strength. i

his rather detailed description has been made for the reason that the elements entering into and the factors governing the construction of m wheel are not readily ap parent and milg t otherwise be overlooked or misunderstoo I claim- 1. A semi-wood wheel, comprising a plurality of radial Wooden spokes, a peripheral metal band tightly fitting over the ends of the spokes and having an inwardly extending flange, and means spacing the inwardly extending flange from the spokes.

2. A semi-wood wheel, comprising a plu' rality of radial wooden spokes, a peripheral metal band tensionally. engaging the spoke ends with force suflicient to form a driving connection, and having an inwardly extending flange, and means spacing the inwardly flange from the spokes.

3. A semi-wood wheel having radial wooden spokes, a peripheral metal band, of sufiicient width to receive a demountable rim, tightly fitting over the spoke ends and having an inwardly extending flange, said spokes being of ass width than the periph eral band, and means interposed between and spacing the spokes from the inwardly extending flange.

4. Au semi wood wheel having radial wooden spokes, a peripheral metal band, of sufficient width to receive a demountablc rim, fitting-over the spoke ends, under tension sufficient to form a driving connection, and having an inwardly extending flange, said spokes being of less width than the peripheral band, and means interposed between and spacing the spokes from the inwardly extending flange.

5. A semi wood wheel havin radial wooden spokes, a cylindrical metafiiand, of snfiicient width to receive a demountable rim fitting over the spoke ends, under tension snfiicient to form a driving connection, and having an inwardly extending flange, said spokes being of less width than the peripheral band, and means interposed and spacing the spokes from the inwardly-extending flange.

6. A semi-wood wheel having radial wooden spokes of rectangular cross-section and substantially uniform thickness from end. to end, the inner ends being mitered to permit radial positioning and a peripheral metal band encompassing and tensionally -gripping the spoke ends, said peripheral hand having an inwardly extending flange,

and spacing means interposed between the flange and the spokes.

7. A semi-wood wheel having a plurality of radial wooden spokes, a rim-receiving metal band tightly fitting over the ends of the spokes and having an inwardly extending flange, means interposed between and spacing the flange from the spokes and means for securing the flange, spacing means, and spokes firmly together.

8. In a scmhwood Wheel having a plurality of radial wooden spokes a deniountable rim-receiving metal band tightly fitting over the ends of the spokes and having an inwardly extending flange, means interposed between and spacing the flange from the spokes, and means for securing the flange spacing means and spokes firmly together, said means comprising rivets, except where demonntable rim-operating arts are positioned at which place the astening means take the form of bolts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of November, 1918.

ERLE KING BAKER. 

